Shadows and Death
by BloodandGore2297
Summary: A man is looking for Link, trying desperately to tell him what he needs to do. The man is badly wounded, and stuck in the middle of the Gerudo Desert. By a miracle, Link finds him, and the Hero's next great journey begins. Focused more on the point of the OC, but i switch between Link and the OC quite often.
1. Where is he!

**A/N: I OBVIOUSLY don't own Legend of Zelda or its characters, or I would have made a game about this, not write about it  
**

The Gerudo Desert was always cold at night. _Pain, blinding pain. A shriek in the darkness, bodies everywhere._ A man shivered, pulling his cloak closer to him. _Bodies littered the streets, blood was on the walls. A little girl kept crying for her mother, somewhere far away. _He had stab marks all through him; he never had the time to don his armor. _The symbol appearing on his hand, three upward triangles: the Triforce._ He had black hair cut roughly at neck length blowing into his eyes. His lips were chapped and bleeding over his smooth chin. _A seventeen year old boy clawed his way through the wreckage, half dead himself._

It was three years ago today that his town was massacred, and he alone escaped. He was half a ghost, even then, clutching his blade bitterly as the blood poured out of him. _Death should have come for me on that day,_ he reflected silently, for he had no strength left to utter words. Also, what kind of madman screamed defiance while facing Death's own eyes, bleeding from far too many wounds?

_ I did, _he thought. _I faced Death and laughed in his face, spiteful bastard that I was. Three years ago._ Indeed, it had been three long years of torment after his town fell. _But I survived. Unexplainable._ He wasn't sure, however, if it was the Goddesses or someone much more sinister that had saved him, that first time. He was saved by being granted a piece of the Triforce, and yet… he had never seen a Triforce piece like this. _It hurt, _he thought, reflecting on that as well. _It was burning into my hand, and I screamed… then my wounds healed, and I was safe._

But was he, truly? He looked down at his hand. The highest triangle was the Piece of Wisdom: Yet it was not his. The rightmost, Courage: Also not his. Finally leftmost, there was the Piece of Power… not his. His piece was directly in the middle of the Triforce, and it burned black as sin. _Why couldn't they go bother some other twenty year old? Why did it have to be __me__?_ But if it was truly the Goddesses that had saved him, then they, in fact, did bother someone else. Someone who saved the world, the Hero of Twilight, was seventeen when they went through their trials. That was a year ago, and he had been hunting the boy down. Then tonight, on the anniversary of that horrific slaughter that haunted him to this day, a race he had never expected to see again appeared. _The Gerudo… the killers of my fellow villagers, have reappeared. They almost killed me once, and tonight they have finished the job._

The man heard sand crunching in the distance. _It cannot be Gerudo; I would have never heard them approach._ He summoned strength he didn't know he had, hauling himself to his feet. His vividly green eyes surveyed the landscape. The person was behind a rock, meaning he wouldn't see them until they were upon him. He lifted his blade, holding it at the ready. His eyes burned with determination. Slowly stepping out from behind the rock, blade drawn, was Link.

The man could have laughed, but he saved the energy for his words. He would need every last second remaining to him. He sheathed his blade. Link seemed puzzled for a moment, unsure of what to do. The man finally summoned his strength. "Relax, kid. If I had wanted to fight you I would have fought. Can't guarantee that I would've won, though," hoping to find Link's weak point so he would put the damn blade down before the man hurt Link. _I come to help you save this pathetic excuse of a kingdom, and its Hero openly threatens me?_ Then he reconsidered. He was in the desert notorious for Gerudo Thieves, and as a matter of fact, it was those same people that brought him to the brink of death now.

"You're hurt," The boy suddenly exclaimed, noticing the blood that dripped between the black plated armor that he had thrown over it, hoping to hide this from Link until it was too late. The Hero swiftly lowered his blade.

_ Ah, so honor would be your weakness. You're lucky we're on the same side, then._ "You've no time for that," the man spat. "That pitiful blade is not the one you were wearing when you saved Hyrule the first time, I trust?"

Link shook his head, still staring at the amount of blood draining from the man. "No, this is an Ordon Sword; I returned the Master Sword after my quest had been finished… wait, the first time I saved Hyrule?"

The man laughed. The boy was beginning to see. "Not the last time, either. Great trials lay ahead of you. You must open what was never meant to be closed, and retrieve that which has been permanently lost. I send you on a fool's errand, hoping desperately that it is not too late."

Link shook his head, trying frantically. "But Hyrule's at peace, nobody could be happier. What could possibly-"

He was cut off mid-sentence. "The Gerudo never died, and they are not happy with the death of their king. They have summoned the Red Fury, and all his minions. There is not much time left…"

Link turned away rapidly, and he could see the confusion brewing in his mind. The boy was all mixed up now. "NO! I don't believe you," he swore.

The man chuckled. "Listen, kid, and listen well. Have you ever heard of a man lying while on his deathbed?" He could see the light of understanding dawning in the boy's eyes. He hurried on before Link could interrupt again. "Seek Lanayru. He may not have been answering your call, of late, but I think he will if he sees what lays in your mind. Take heart, there is still time. Just… not for me…" The boy watched him, and he could see him struggling against tears. _How can he witness the horrors of the land and still be so naïve,_ he wondered. Then a crueler thought still, _maybe because he never has. The Hero only has to get rid of the 'Bad Guy', and suddenly the world is A-Okay again._ Then he felt his vision going black, and he succumbed to Death's embrace.

-...-...-...-

The Hero of Twilight rode hard and fast throughout the land, the man slumped in the saddle in front of him. It was difficult to keep him on the brink of life, especially because the man had lost the will to fight. But Link pulled him through the worst of it with sheer determination. No one ever died if Link was there to protect them. He hadn't failed since that first day, with the Bulbins, and he never planned on doing so again. They had retreated to the edge of the desert, a three day journey. The man never woke once, and Link stopped waiting.

Link was able to use his Clawshot to grab an unsuspecting Cucco, and so they floated into Lake Hylia. His next destination: that insufferable Light Spirit bastard, Lanayru. He walked into the spring, his voice booming across the ancient rocks. "Hear me, mighty Spirit of Light! We've had our differences, but my need is direr than ever before, and I unfortunately need your help yet again. It worked. Lanayru appeared out of his lake, but upon seeing the unconscious man he hissed. "Get him out of here. Out!" Link just stood there, astonished. Then he got angry. "He's been more of a help to me in five minutes than you've been in the last year, Lanayru!" He drew the Light Spirit's name out, making it sound more like a curse.

"You dare speak to me in such a hostile manner! You forget your place, _Hero._ As such, I would be most delighted to deny your help. But I must once again help your pathetic being in yet another quest, because the Goddesses haven't quite finished laughing at me. You will find what you seek in the deepest part of Death Mountain, and may it destroy you before you ever have the chance to come here again. Then Eldin appeared, looking totally out of his element.

"This is not the way to speak to the man who saved our lands! Link, I beg your apology in my brother's stead, and grant to you something that may prove more useful than you might think." Link watched as Eldin hit the man that Link rescued with a ball of light. He watched a cloud of darkness lift into the air and swirl for a moment before resettling upon him. Both Eldin and Lanayru watched warily as the man opened his eyes. He watched the man run suddenly, away from here. Link sighed and followed.

"No! I'm not going back there!" The man exclaimed. He watched the building where the spirit resided warily from the walkway to the cannon.

Link sighed. "C'mon… I don't even know your name!" He watched the man suspiciously. The man groaned. "Shioru." Link started and rubbed his eyes. _I've heard that name before… Ack!_ "Well I don't need to go back in there, anyway. As long as you know where to go, we can just go on regardless."

Shioru appeared to think a moment. "Yes, well… I need time to properly heal. All they did was shock my heart, and if it wasn't for your bandages in the first place… I can't say I wanted to be healed, but I guess now that I am I owe you my gratitude." Link shook his head, but didn't speak, so Shioru continued. "I need a place to stay for the next week. Perhaps your home in Ordon?"

Link wanted to shake his head. He remembered his last conversation with Ilia, and his heart sank. _I had to leave, and when she knew it was about Midna, she cried… she never wants to speak to me again… _"Let's go, then." Shioru hauled himself up to his feet. There was no need to use Fyer, anymore, since the princess had a ramp built up the side of the cliff face where Falbi's house was. Link and Shioru climbed aboard Epona and began their journey.

-...-...-...-

All was quiet in the shadows of Ordon. At the stake of my reputation, it has to be said. It was _too_ quiet (**A/N: ****sorry guys, needed to be done**). Shioru tensed. _Not even the animals are moving…_ he had been here before, in his search for the Hero. It was always teeming with life, no matter the hour. At first it kept him up at night, but it soon became comforting. _Something has happened, and Link can feel it._ Shioru, instead of speaking, slid off of Epona's back. Link steered the horse off the road and followed suit. They both drew their blades, Link clutching the Ordon Sword tightly, Shioru loosely gripping his onyx blade, the tip slowly moving in small circles. Cautiously, the two men walked up to where Link's house was, sliding along the wall. Nothing was there. Shioru took point, even with his injuries, and Link didn't object. _He can tell I've run the fair fight before,_ he mused.

**A/N: I hope I didn't give the wrong impression when the only two battles I spoke of where ones Shioru lost. The first battle he was in he only had rudimentary training with sword fighting, and his great battle tactic was to stick them with the pointy end. The last battle he was in was 1 vs. 50, which was slightly uneven. I'm obviously exaggerating a bit, he's not like all powerful or anything, but he could take 15 to 25 Gerudos easily. speaking of similar staggering odds; and i assure you, i did not realize i did this until _after_ it was already written,  
**

He peeked around the corner of the ramp leading into Ordon Village. He couldn't see anything there either. Shioru turned to Link. "You head into the village. I'm going to sneak around. If there's an ambush, then I'll ambush the ambushers." Link looked lost, and Shioru fought the urge to laugh. "Go ahead kid. Stay on your guard and let me handle the complicated plans." Link nodded to him. Shioru crept away.

-...-...-...-

Link felt weaker after the man left already. He didn't know why, but he always worked better with a guide telling him what to do. _I'm not a planner; I'm a doer, that's why._ But why has it taken so long for the ambush to spring? Of course, men began pouring out from behind the buildings, rushing him with blades drawn, screaming. _Oh, that's how long. I hope Shioru knows what he's doing._ Then he turned to the wall of men and lifted his shield, switching into battle stance. Things did not go well for the Hero. It was one vs. fifty, and Shioru was nowhere to be seen.

_ Did that bastard abandon me?_ He wondered frantically as he dispatched the closest man by deflecting his attack off of his shield, and then stabbing him in the gut. The men were in full plate mail, helmets with visors hiding their faces. Their armor was ebony black, with crimson stripes running across their armor. It vaguely resembled a devil's face. The next man fell to a slash across the neck before he could even strike. The full brunt of the group was almost upon him. _Where the hell is Shioru?!_

**Where is he, indeed? you'll find out!  
**


	2. Fragile, that one is

Chapter 2: Fragile, that one is

**A/N: I was going to leave anyone reading on a HUGE cliffhanger, but I decided to be nice and leave you only on a little one. So be nice back and tell me if this or isn't any good! Cuz I hate wasting my time. Continuing…**

Shioru snuck around a tree, keeping his distance from the men. He could tell they were trained well. They were keeping a reserve in the trees, making sure that if Link did live through the initial assault, he would be double ambushed. _Clever, I need to remember that, _Shioru thought. Unfortunately, they weren't expecting Link to surprise attack them, when he wasn't even supposed to know that they were there to begin with. He chuckled darkly. Then he charged with a yell. The guards, after wishing for a change in underwear, leaped to their feet, reaching for swords, shields, anything they could get their hands on. When they saw it was one man, and not even the Hero, they relaxed. A few of them surrounded him.

"It's all over, kid," The captain said, staying behind a wall of what looked like the best trained men. He eyed Shioru warily, waiting for some trick.

Shioru laughed at their stupidity. "Well, come get me then," he replied cheerfully, sword already drawn. They rushed him. They died. Shioru cleaved clear through a man's helmet, making them cringe from his strength. But they pressed on. He then flicked his blade at a second guard's, knocking it down, and let the momentum of the rebound carry his blade back up to the guard's neck. _Two down,_ Shioru thought drily as blood sprayed from the man's neck.

They created a circle around him. As they all tried to stab him, he danced merrily in between their blades, hacking at legs, inner elbows, anything his blade could reach. All were finished once they hit the ground, screaming in agony. He counted the survivors. _Forty men?! What kind of backup is this? This is strong enough to BE the main assault. _He then realized what this meant. _Link has no chance alone. I have to reach him, or we're all dead!_

Shioru lunged forward, taking the offensive in a fight no one ever would, unless desperate. The captain probably thought Shioru was getting tired, and was trying to stay on his feet. Although he was, this wasn't his main motive, so when the captain swarmed him with ten guards at once, he still managed to avoid their blows. Men screamed as limbs were hacked and bones were broken. Shioru threw down the last of the infantry. The captain still hid behind his wall of elite soldiers, eyes bugging. "Who ARE you?!"

Shioru, all serious now, said soberly, "unfortunately, your death." With that, he lunged towards the elite soldiers. They instantly stepped forward in unison, and raised their blades, also in synchronization. _This can't be good, _Shioru thought. Sure enough, they were battering him to pieces as the fight progressed. He acutely felt a blade pierce his left arm, slipping in like a hot knife through butter. "Argh!" Shioru cried, dropping his shield. They chuckled and stepped up to finish him. Shioru pulled a dagger out of his belt, slipping into a more appropriate stance for dual wielding. He flipped the dagger around so he held it pointing down, so he would have more leverage with the blade. He stared them down until the attack resumed.

-…-…-…-

Link slew another soldier, panting heavily. His feral eyes swept across the bodies. _Thirty dead? How am I still on my feet?_ This was easily the longest battle Link had ever been in, even longer than the battle with Ganondorf. _If only Midna were here,_ he thought sadly. _I have no help now._ He slew three more before a blade dragged across his back. _Damn!_ In agony, he fell to his knees. There were still seventeen left, and they were exhausted, but Link hit his breaking point. _This is it…_

-…-…-…-

Shioru finished off the last elite soldier, blood soaking him, and not all of it his. He was bleeding far too heavily for one last soldier, though. Yet the captain was a coward. He pulled his only weapon on him, a dagger, out. Shioru's sword slipped through his fingers, too heavy to hold. He swapped his dagger into his other hand, in the reversed fashion. _So be it,_ he decided. He hauled himself to his feet. Turns out the captain picked the wrong weapon to use. Shioru shoved the dagger back in its sheath and collected his sword and shield. He began hurrying towards the town.

He ran into the village just as Link fell to his knees. _No time for a plan now,_ Shioru frantically realized. He let out a bloodcurdling war whoop and charged, pain and wounds forgotten. He knew if he died now, Link was doomed, and so was Hyrule. Men fell swiftly, much quicker than he'd have thought. _The Hero must have worn them down,_ he figured. Fifteen died, but the last two had been hanging back on both fights, and so were in much better shape. Also, the pain started clouding Shioru's mind again.

Blades clashed with the shriek like the devil's hiss, the forest so silent that it seemed every animal knew what was at stake and was watching. Shioru felt the stab wound in his arm intensely as the blades bounced off of his shield. Slashes in his stomach and legs didn't help things, either. He was driven to one knee by one man, and in so doing was able to slash the back of the second man's leg and end him with a blow to his throat. Standing quickly, he smashed his shield into the man, knocking him backwards, finishing by swinging his blade at their helmet. The helmet flew off, and Shioru gasped. _That's no man… that's a demon!_ (Basically picture the Immortals from 300 with wide open gaping mouths, rotting gums, and little curved horns [I know, curved horns are a little stereotypical, but I don't care].)

The demon took advantage of Shioru's shock and pounced for the kill. A blade suddenly protruded from its chest and it screamed in frustration as its blade swung and barely missed Shioru's neck. _I don't think he came with a blade in his chest, _Shioru thought to himself, snickering. The demon fell, Link's blade still embedded in it. Shioru breathed a sigh of relief. "That could have been really bad."

-…-…-…-

Link wasn't laughing. "We're cut to bits! That _was_ really bad. These are their foot soldiers?!"

Shioru snickered again. "Calm down, Hero. Look what you've done!"

Villagers began poking their heads out of their buildings, scared but curious. He finally smiled. _They live!_ "It's alright, they're all gone," he exclaimed. The village kids ran out, hugging Link. He began laughing. Talo pulled back, and found blood on his hands. Link looked over and frowned. "Maybe I should clean up, first."

Talo grinned and hugged him again. "That doesn't matter, Link. Blood is really cool!"

Link burst out laughing until his back gave a twinge. "I know, right?" He saw Ilia hurrying towards him, and swallowed. He turned to Talo. "Fun's over, punk. I'm in trouble now." Talo turned, saw Ilia, blanched, and hurriedly got Colin and Beth to get way back. He could see Malo watching from a distance, snorting. For a moment, Link had thought Ilia was about to yell at him. But because most of the children were in Sera's shop, he had turned that way. Ilia, coming from Bo's, in the opposite direction, saw the slash across his back, which was bleeding heavily.

-…-…-…-

Ilia finally reached him, tears in her eyes. "We can talk later. Right now, you need a bed before you bleed out!" Link shook his head. Motioning to Shioru, who was just being noticed now, said, "He needs help more than I do. Besides, I am… completely…" Link drifted off as he collapsed into Ilia.

Ilia held Link for a moment, thinking about their last fight. _My last memory of him besides this isn't going to be anger. I'll fix him up, I have to!_

Shioru smirked. "Fragile, that one is."


	3. Blood and Love

**A/N: Hey guys, I would hate to ruin the story reading experience, but a review would be nice. Now, to the story...**

Ilia turned to Shioru. She, Rusl, and Bo, unlike most of the villagers, had been watching the fight throughout the time, and knew without this man's help, Link would have been defeated. "Thank you, stranger. You defended our town skillfully, although it is not yours…"

Shioru gave her a knowing smile. "Ah, but I sensed danger, and I knew Link's shaky little heart would have completely crumbled if this village, or more particularly some_one_ in it, was destroyed. While his heart is not needed to complete his task, and my order would be deeply disappointed in me…" His eyes flared defiantly and proud, "I still have a heart!" his voice dropped into a murmur. "And, I also know what it is like to never be able to speak to the one you care for most… not mentioning any names on Link's behalf, of course. Purely to preserve dignity, and because Link should be the one to tell y- that person, anyway."

Ilia knew he slipped up on purpose. _Is he implying…!_ Her cheeks burned a deep crimson, as others in the village chuckled. Shioru's head snapped around to glare at them, and Ilia felt relieved he stood up for her. He then said, to change topics, which she also reminded herself to thank him for later, protested hotly, "Yes, all very amusing, obviously, but the two people who rescued your village are bleeding _all_ over the ground, and I humbly request someone to help me to a doctor, or shaman, or witch doctor, or whatever the _hell_ you people use to heal your injured!"

-…-…-…-

Shioru groaned. _What the bloody hell happened to my-_ his thought was interrupted as he felt a presence nearly on top of him, and he lunged out of his bedroll, reaching for his sword. Only it wasn't a bedroll, it was an actual bed, his sword wasn't there, and it was Ilia standing over him, who was wrapping a bandage. Shioru fell back on his bed with a shriek as three stitches ripped.

It looked like Ilia had a stroke. "Oh my goddesses! What in the name of Din was that for?!"

Shioru chuckled weakly. "Bad dream?" he offered. She continued on with something else, but he wasn't paying attention anymore. His hand was burning. More specifically, his hand burned where his 'Triforce' piece was. "Re-stitch that quickly, woman, if you value your throat and your house intact. I've made a stupid mistake, and I will bash my dindamned head in for it later. Hurry! I've not much time!" Ilia seemed mad, probably because he called her woman and it also probably sounded like he was threatening her. As soon as she finished, he said, "My sword, where is it."

He saw Ilia swallow hard. "On the table," she whispered weakly. "Why?"

"Because my blade and the Master Sword are the only ones capable of killing these demons, and Link was using an Ordon sword. Do you get what I'm saying? Every _single_ demon he killed is still _alive!_" Ilia gasped in horror. Shioru had no time for that. "Listen. Get everyone inside again, quickly!"

Ilia said in a small voice, "But Link hasn't come around yet."

Shioru shook his head. _Dindamned Ordonians! WHY CAN'T SHE PAY ATTENTION!_ Very calmly, he replied, "Doesn't matter." His voice started rising turning into a near shout at the end. "Because every creature he would kill will come back AGAIN! Get the villagers in houses, NOW!" Shioru ran downstairs, not bothering with anything except trousers and boots. Instead of buckling on his sword, he ripped his blade out of its sheath and sprinted outside. Ilia had run out ahead of him, not needing to dress, and called out to the villagers. "Get inside, they're back!" Ordonians ran to the nearest houses, screaming for their kids. They all made it inside. Shioru breathed in relief. _Now it's just them and me…_ He then heard a distant cry that made his heart pound in fear.

-…-…-…-

"Help!" Talo shrieked, demons laughing cruelly as they advanced on him. He was playing by himself near Link's house. He knew no one could hear him, or get there in time. _The only one who could hear that is Link, and he's out cold!_ One lifted his blade, swinging down with all his might. Talo closed his eyes tightly, expecting nothing but death. He heard, in its place, a heavy clang, followed by a metallic shriek. _That's almost like when Link and Rusl are training, and their swords…_

Talo opened his eyes, seeing the stranger holding an onyx blade under the demon's own, both of them inches from his face. "RUN!" the stranger screamed at him. "GET BACK TO A HOUSE!" Talo ran like never before, straight to Sera's. His mother dragged him inside, and all she could say was, "thank the goddesses, thank the goddesses…"

He pushed her off and glared. "The goddesses?! They're not out there fighting right now! They didn't save my life, Shioru did! You can thank him!"

-…-…-…-

Link bolted awake, hearing the distant sound of blades clashing. He jumped out of the bed. He realized he was in nothing but his underwear. He saw his spare set of clothes lying on the dresser, realizing that someone brought it over from his house. From the dainty pink interior, he guessed he was in Sera's. He swiftly donned his clothes, then grabbed the Ordon sword and hurried downstairs. Ilia saw him and grabbed his arm.

"You can't go outside, you're not ready to fight just yet!" she cried, clutching him tightly

Link heard Shioru cry out. He tried to wrench himself free. "He's not either! I'm the Hero, not him! I need to get out there!"

Ilia pulled him back, holder tighter somehow. "No, you can't help him anyway, he said! Only the Master Sword and his blade can kill them! They're not new enemies; they're all the ones that you killed!" Link groaned as he let Ilia drag him back to the guest bedroom. _I've failed. I've underprepared, and I've failed Ordon. Because of that, the Hero takes a nap while Shioru does the work, and kills himself!_ He heard another scream of pain, and he snapped. "I can't do this, Ilia!" He screamed. "I can't sit here while he's out there, dying!"

Ilia sat down next to him, holding him. "It's ok… it's ok… shh…" She ran her fingers through his hair. Link sat there, calming down slightly, but his eye twitched every time Shioru yelled out. It was happening more frequently now. _He's getting tired,_ Link realized with dread. _His reflexes are slowing down_. A tear slid down his face. Ilia was crying too, Link realized. "Link," she whispered. He turned to her, his eyes anguished. Before he had time to think about anything, she kissed him. His eyes went wide, but he couldn't stop himself from returning it. She continued for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably less than a minute.

When the kiss broke, still unable to help himself, Link blurted out, "I love you." It was Ilia's turn to be shocked. "But… what about this Midna?" she asked. Link shook his head. "For a long time, I was confused. For a year, I kept searching for a way to find her. But that whole time, I kept thinking. Somehow, I could never stop thinking about you. I kept remembering what you said that day, in Kakariko. You said, 'I'll be waiting for you', remember?" She slowly nodded. "It was only when I started thinking about why I couldn't stop thinking about you that I realized it. Here I was, searching for Midna, but every time I stopped or rested, she disappeared from my mind. All I could think about was you. Then I figured it out… I was in love with you." I was returning home from the desert, when I ran into Shioru, and then this started." Link sighed. "The Hero's road is never easy, I was once told." She substituted her response with a kiss, and Link was only too happy to respond.

-…-…-

Ilia was feeling warm from her head to her toes. _He loves me!_ It all didn't matter anymore, about anything. It was all she could think about. It was a little selfish, perhaps, but only because Ilia was so happy that it all disappeared. _Finally, he's mine_, she thought dreamily. Link had a funny look on his face, like he was concentrating. "What's the matter?"

Link slowly said, "What do you hear, Ilia?"

Ilia strained, but heard nothing. "I don't hear anything…"

"Exactly. The battle's over." Ilia suddenly grasped at what he was saying. She watched Link's throat as he swallowed. "I don't hear any creature advancing on the town, but I don't hear Shioru either." Ilia's heart sank. _Oh no…_ Then they both heard a voice croak out, "It's a beautiful day outside. Why are you all in there?" Ilia let out a whoop. Link sprinted outside. Ilia followed him, and saw Shioru standing outside, breathing heavily. His bare chest was slashed to bloody ribbons, his legs had deep stab wounds in them, and blood from a slash to the brow was bleeding into his eyes, but by the goddesses, he was _alive_!

**A/N: Kind of seems like what Link does, right? Alone against impossible odds, and pulls through. I wonder what that could mean? Maybe I'll tell you later. Stay tuned!**


	4. The Triforce

**A/N: I'm just gonna let this chapter speak for itself.**

Shioru felt delirium pulling him in deeper. He knew he was on a bed, but not where or how. He buckled shortly after his display of bravado, and he hadn't risen since. Everywhere, demons shrieked around him, demanding entrance. These demons could only hurt him, however. He screamed against his will. "Go _away_! You have no place here! I did all I could I did all I could I did all I _COULD_! They were too strong they stabbed me slashed me hurt me! I tried, _please!_ Let me go!" They did, for a while. He was aware of Link hovering over his bed. "Leave now, before they come back," he croaked. Link said something, but it was lost on him as another wave of pain wracked him. _Is this how I die?_

-…-…-…-

Link grimaced, sitting in a chair near Shioru. "He doesn't sound like he's getting any better." The injured man in question tossed about the bed, occasionally howling. It sounded as if he were tortured. Link turned to Ilia, watching as she winced every time Shioru howled. "It's awful," she whispered. "What happened to him?"

He frowned. "I don't know. I only met him five days ago, and while he's far from shy, he doesn't share a lot of his past," he commented, still unable to move his eyes from Ilia. He still couldn't believe they had started dating, even now. It was like his best dreams come true. Ilia had always been there for him, even in the beginning. It was better than a dream come true to Link, actually. It felt _right_. But he wasn't focused on that currently. He was wondering if Ilia knew what was wrong with Shioru. Ilia was silent for a while, then finally said, "he has a fever, and he's hallucinating. He's probably seeing something from his past. I'm glad I wasn't there, whatever it was."

Link nodded after a moment. "Me too," he agreed, shivering as Shioru moaned again. The mystery would have to wait, though. Shioru wasn't getting up anytime soon. Link would almost bet on it.

-...-...-...-

It's a good thing Link isn't a gambler. The fever broke the next night, and Shioru was sitting up a few hours after that. Sitting up was all he could do, however, because Ilia made sure he didn't move. This was severely aggravating him. "You think your village is the only one threatened?" he asked, taking a dangerous tone.

Ilia got right up in his face. "If you die, then who is going to save them? You're only one man, Shioru. You have to be able to let yourself recover, or you won't be saving anyone!"

"…Women." Ilia looked like she was trying not to laugh as she sat back down. The good news was that despite her wishes, he would be able to move again by the night after tomorrow. Unfortunately, because of his and Link's tendency to get themselves cut to bits on a day to day basis, she would be coming with them. The other good news is that while recovering, Link brought up a map of Hyrule, placing it on a bare table. They began setting up markers for important locations, trying to devise a path they would follow.

"…Okay," Shioru said after a long moment. They knew most of the minions of the Red Fury (the demons who attacked the village) came from beyond south of Ordon, Link and he knew the general location of their main base. This they marked with some little red flags from one of Talo's board games. Green markers indicated a safe zone, blue uncertain, and they placed single yellow markers for places they needed to go.

All of Ordon and south of it they marked red. Villagers were going to evacuate to Kakariko, which would be much easier to defend. Kakariko was blue for now; they would bring the map with them and change the markers to the correct color once they were sure it was safe. Kakariko also had a yellow marker, since they needed to go check it out and move the villagers there. They placed a yellow marker in the general location of Sacred Grove, and put green markers there. No way would the Red Fury be able to figure out Lost Woods, they were certain.

Link narrowed his eyebrows. "Okay, we could head east along this ridge…"

**A/N: Just to clarify, I am using the GC version of TP, so Eldin is on the right, and the Desert on the left.**

Shioru shook his head. "No, they can mobilize from the south and come out of the canyon here," he pointed, and then pointed further north, "and here, which would cut us off."

"Not entirely. If that was the case, then we could head west and north, and seek refuge in Castle Town," Link argued.

Shioru sighed. "Castle Town was overthrown once; it can be done again, and easily. Because of the location of Hyrule Castle itself, there is a huge weakness near the wall along the west road, one that can be bombed, and breached. He stared at the map for a moment. "Hang on a second," he murmured, following a path. Link appeared to be trying to follow his eyes. He wasn't doing a good job, so he pointed. "That mountain, there, it used to have a tunnel, yes?"

Link nodded. "It did, but there's no bomb powerful enough to clear that landslide."

"No _bomb_? Perhaps. What about Gorons?"

Link sighed, clearly agitated. "Yes, they could clear it with the right amount of hot spring water. But we're trying to get _to_ Kakariko. If we could get to the Gorons to bring word, why would we need him to clear the mountain?"

Shioru deflated. "True."

A voice interrupted their thoughts. "That is unless you could contact them while staying here." It was a cloaked and hooded figure, but judging from the voice, female.

Link stared at them. "That's impossible." Then Link started. "Do I know you?"

Shioru grinned. He had figured out this person's identity as soon as they spoke. "Not for the princess."

Link groaned. "Are you paying attention? We don't have… the…" He slowly turned and stared at the stranger, who gasped after Shioru's statement.

Shioru chuckled. "Oh, but you're wrong, Hero. I think we do have the princess." With that, Shioru bowed.

Link slowly bowed, as well, his eyes trained on the princess. "Why aren't you in Hyrule Castle, gathering an army, or speaking to the people?"

Zelda sighed gravely, removing her hood. "I regret to announce that I have been betrayed. The Castle has fallen, due to three corrupt members in my council. They hired men to kill me in my sleep, but I… wasn't sleeping. I was able to leap from my window, and I used my shield to soften my fall. I came here, figuring you to be here. It's worse than that, though. They have banded up with a group of Gerudo, who still live, and they have summoned-"

Link cut her off. "The Red Fury and all his minions, I know. We killed a group of them that had been laying siege to the villagers of Ordon, trapping them in their houses."

Zelda gasped. "They'll just come back. The only things that can kill them is my magic-"

Link did it again. "And the Master Sword, and Shioru's blade. Again, I know."

Zelda turned to Shioru so fast it looked like it broke her neck. "Your sword can kill them?" Shioru motioned to his blade. Zelda picked up the sword, pulling out the blade. She abruptly hissed in pain as shadows writhed around her hand. Shioru jumped out of the bed, grabbed the sword by the blade, and yanked it out of her hand. "I didn't say to _pick up_ the blade." He threw the blade to the ground. He had been holding it so tightly that the onyx edge cut into his palm. He didn't notice that, however, as he turned Zelda's hand over on his, looking for marks. "Are you hurt?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, but I was in pain while holding it. Why didn't it harm you?"

He shook his head for a moment, but said, "The Master Sword only responds to one owner as well, does it not?"

Zelda finally discerned what the blade was, and gasped in horror. "The Master Sword repels the non-worthy with a blinding light. This blade uses shadows, which means… that sword is the Shadow Sword, also known as the Blade of Darkness… Let me see your hand," she suddenly said. Shioru slowly realized he wasn't going to like what she said next, but he had no choice. _You wanted to know, didn't you?_ He thought bitterly as he peeled off his glove, and revealed the Triforce mark. Zelda nodded, fear on her face. "I knew it. You see how all the other triangles is right side up, and point towards the Goddesses? Yours is upside down, meaning you were chosen… by the God of Darkness himself!"

Shioru flinched, his mind wanting to reject the theory immediately, but he knew it was true. _It burned into my hand, and I screamed…_ He finally said, in a bitter voice, "This means I'm evil, right?"

**The secret has been revealed... Now how are Zelda and Link going to make sure Shioru stays on their side? Time will tell. As will my next chapter.**


	5. To the Death

Zelda spoke slowly. "I believe no man is born evil."

He growled, which made Zelda jump. "Don't feed me that children story bullshit! It means I'm evil, doesn't it? I'm a bad person, right?!"

Talo suddenly broke into the room, hugging Shioru. "You're not evil! If you were, you wouldn't have saved the village!"

Link saw his chance, and said something then that made him seem more worthy of the Piece of Wisdom than Courage. "The greatness of a man isn't measured by what he is given, but how he uses it. Remember that." Zelda smiled internally, knowing Link had said it more perfectly than anyone could have, even her.

Shioru slowly nodded, committing the words to memory. _How he uses it... _"Well, it's not like I was going to go run around and start killing people just because of a stupid tattoo and a sword," he grumbled. Link laughed, Zelda relaxed, Talo smiled, and Ilia screamed. Shioru was on his feet a second after Link, but Link was fully dressed. "Link," Shioru began, "I'm starting to get really aggravated that I'm the only one here who can fight. Go reclaim the Master Sword. Zelda and I will hold them back until you return."

There was no stop in motion the whole time he said this hastily throwing on pants and boots and picking up his sword. "I'm also getting _really_ pissed that no one ever allows me to put on my DAMN ARMOR! I bought it to fight in it, not look at the damn thing!" He dashed outside, finding Ilia running frantically away from the ranch, with more armor plated men on her heels. These ones looked tougher, but there were only twelve of them. _Only twelve? You know you're having a bad week when twelve heavily armored men seem like a relief to you._ He charged, screaming. Ilia was not going to outrun them, it seemed. Shioru, out of instinct, extended his Tri-force hand out to Ilia. She flew forward as if being pulled by an invisible rope. Shioru didn't bother to figure out how he did that. Instead, he stood in front of her. The blows rained down on his shield, battering him. He waited patiently, and then muttered quietly, "My turn."

He ducked under a blade, following it with his own until his sword pierced the creature's armpit and went through to the heart. It shrieked as it dropped. A blade found his shoulder, but he twisted away, leaving only a scratch. He straightened and spun cleaving open one chest and stopped to stab another. A sword rushed at his face, only for him to jerk away, feeling the sword slice open his cheek. He cut of the offender's hand, and then his head. Three fell to a spin. Another three were knocked down and executed without mercy, for they had none for him. He threw down another with a forward slash, and the last one died by a backhand slash. He then heard a mighty roar. He turned to see a captain of sorts, this one much tougher looking then all of his men combined.

The captain roared. "I challenge you, Shioru Astenengard, to a one on one battle to the death! If you accept, we will leave this village be. If not, we will strike you all down! Or, you may kneel to me, and be presented to my master."

Shioru laughed, but it was a harsh sound, devoid of joy. "You think I would bow to you, and let you burn this village down, while you enslave and kill its people?! I am of the order of the Dark Knights, and I bow to no man, or creature! Especially not a sniveling underling such as yourself!" The captain roared, and the noise clearly meant, to all who heard it, that he retracted his offer of submission to Shioru. "I will not bow, and I will not sit by like a coward while you kill its people! I accept your challenge!"

The captain smirked, the slight to him not forgotten. "So be it. We meet in an hour's time." The captain walked away, and Shioru staggered back into Sera's house, feeling all of his wounds in that moment. Zelda was horrified. "You're in no fit condition to fight anyone!"

Shioru, just before he lost consciousness entirely, said, "I have to be. Who else can?" Then he slipped into the void.

-…-…-…-

Link heard the clash of sword on sword as he hurried to Faron. He could do nothing but hope that Shioru could hold them off. He worried for Ilia. _Will she still be there when I return? What if Shioru could not reach her in time?_ He tried to push away his thoughts. He couldn't answer any of his questions right now. The only thing he could do was focus on his task, and to bring home the sword as fast as he possibly could. He had less time to think about his feelings for Ilia, and yet she was always on his mind, so there was no way possible he couldn't think about her. The only thing he was sure of anymore was that he liked her. _Okay, definitely more than like. But can I really put her through this whole Hero thing again? She'd be way better off with someone else in the village..._

The walk was long and dismal. The trees of Faron had always been quieter than those of Ordon, but today it was even more hushed than usual. It made Link uneasy. It was almost as if there was an ambush planned ahead. This had to be nonsense, because no one would be stupid enough to send the Hero out now, in the middle of an attack. At least, that was what Link hoped. If they caught him now, with a useless sword and no one to help, he'd be doomed. He crept past the fairy fountain in Faron, pushing on towards the hollow tree log at the edge. He sighed in relief as he reached the log unhindered. He walked out of the log, and looked dead into the eyes of a Fury general (**A/N: the Furies are the name of the enemy army, and the Red Fury is its leader. Just clarifying.**) Link sighed. _I let go of my guard way to soon…_ He never felt the blow to his head, but just slipped into unconsciousness.

-…-…-..-

Shioru awoke to Zelda staring at him from across the room. Shioru cleared his throat. "What time is it?"

Zelda smirked, but she was clearly not really amused. "You have ten minutes." Shioru cursed and stumbled to his feet, donning his armor hastily. This time he heard a harsh laugh come out from between Zelda's lips. "Go out like that, you won't last five minutes. Here, let me fix some of those fastenings…" A few uncomfortable minutes later, Shioru was properly secured. He strapped his sword to his back, and gave a tired grin. "It's gonna' be a fun one." Zelda shook her head at him as he bowed and took his leave. He strode through the doors just as the captain started to call his name.

The monsters had set up a crude arena-like area that the captain was standing in. Even crude was overstating it. It was a rough semicircle of fences ripped from Ordon's walls. One piece wasn't secured yet, which was all they needed to fit Shioru through and seal him in with the hulking demon. He shrugged, appearing nonchalant, and strode through. He heard them sealing the wall behind him. Straightening, he shoved his jet black hair off of his face and scrutinized the figure before him for the first time. The armor was thicker than the others, but for a seasoned fighter like Shioru, he knew that just meant the separation between plates would be even weaker than usual. The Fury Captain was eight feet tall, though, and his helmet revealed his face.

It took Shioru half a moment to realize that this was to expand the demon's vision. This further revealed he was to duel no weak opponent. This one was smart, and was clearly the victor of several such duels. Shioru smiled wanly. He was under-armored for such an enemy. To compensate, he would need to be much faster. The problem was Shioru's wounds weren't going to like that. _One mistake and I go down. If that happens, Ordon falls. I can't let that happen._

**A/N: Oh boy, what has Shioru gotten himself **_**into**_**? This hero business is hard work indeed. If you want to be a hero, go ahead and ****review****. Bahaha what the hell am I doing you guys prolly skip these author notes anyway. Well stay tuned for the next chapter if you like it!**


	6. Is This The End?

Link woke up dazed and confused. For a moment, he wanted to pretend he didn't know where he was, but the pain in his head refused to let that happen. The only place that he could possibly be in with this many screams was some kind of Fury camp. Then a boot drove impossibly hard into Link's side. He yelled out in pain and his eyes shot open. A demon (_Fury, _Link remembered) was staring down at him. "Get up!" Link complied, his ribs aching. The Fury tossed Link's sword at his feet. "We fight for the pleasure of my general."

Link stared, eyes widening. He realized the futility of this at once. Even if he could win, which was doubtful at this point, his sword couldn't kill them. It would just keep getting back up until Link was overtaken. He wondered how far Ordon was from here. _If I can stay alive long enough, maybe Shioru or Zelda-_ he shook the thought away. It would never happen; they had no idea where Link was, if they were even still alive. Still, he wasn't going down without a fight.

-…-…-…-

Shioru drew his blade just as the general neared him, enemy blade halted by his mid blow. He was shoved backwards into the fence, and the barbs nipped at his back. He hauled himself off of it, only to throw himself to the side as the creature swung for him again. _Damn! Way too fast!_ The general was already turning towards him again, and he wasn't even off of the ground yet.

He managed to get onto a knee as the blade came crashing down again, and he swept it aside with a forceful swipe of his sword. Shioru, on instinct, shoved his hand forward, and tendrils of black veins came ripping at out the floor, tearing at the general's legs. The general began to scream, swinging his blade like a lunatic around and about himself. It would have killed the general in a few more seconds, but Shioru was just as startled as the general, and retreated, his focus dissipating. The tendrils receded back into the dirt. The general turned to Shioru, eyes bugging. "What ARE you?"

"The devil himself," Shioru responded, and lunged forward.

-…-…-…-

Link blocked blow after blow, his arms slowly starting to burn. He had killed the creature five times already. He seemed to recall the ones he killed in Ordon taking a lot longer than this to regenerate. It wasn't exactly a question he could ponder at the moment, however, because he had to duck and spin like crazy, and thinking about anything other than where his sword would go next would be counter-productive. One mistake and Link was finished. Of course, he was finished already. Despite his will to focus his thoughts only on the next move, they shifted briefly to Ilia. _Ilia…_ he knew he was done; finished. The only thing that could save him was the master sword, and it was way too far away to help him now. His battle here was only extending his time left, and Link could feel his energy slipping away with every blow blocked. He watched the demon's blade sailing in high again, this time for his throat. It was over.

-…-…-…-

Shioru felt something nagging at his mind. It was drawing his thoughts away from the fight, and he was receiving more and more slashes. He rolled out of the way, to buy himself time, and focused on the disturbance. _Link! Link is going to die!_ He didn't stop to wonder how he knew, or what he was going to do. His hand extended forwards, and he felt something drain the last vestiges of his strength. The feeling of impending doom subsided, but the effort was going to cost him his life, and those of the town. The general was looking at him smugly. "Now you die," it said with relish.

Shioru still found a grin somewhere behind his lips and brought it to the fore. "We shall see, now won't we?"

-…-…-…-

Link woke up. He lay there a moment, just resting. He figured he was dead, since there was no way he survived that experience. He could still envision the blade coming for his throat. It was then that he realized he couldn't feel any pain. _Yup, I am most definitely dead._ A startled gasp right next to him scared him more than anything he could remember in his life. He lunged up to his feet to find himself staring back into the eyes of the skull kid.

"H-h-h-how?" The Skull Kid stammered. Link stared at it, at a loss for words. "You… you're in the spirit world, but you're not dead…" Link blinked. _What is he talking about?_ The skull kid came forwards. "May I… see your hand for a second?" It asked. Link hesitated, but then held out his arm. The Skull Kid touched it, and jumped back shrieking. "Demon! A demon has touched you!" it cried. _Demon?! Wait a minute… Shioru!" _

He began to laugh. "How do I get out of this place?!" Link demanded.

The Skull Kid paused a moment, considering. "There is the portal," it breathed ominously. "Yes… but it is far from here, and the Spirit World is much different than Hyrule, or any other land for that matter. You will need a guide, and I cannot help you. My place remains here, in the Lost Woods. But there is someone on the edge of the woods. If you can find her, she may help you. She does love an adventure! Hee hee hee!" The Skull Kid vanished before Link could reply. He stood there a moment, strongly considering edifying the Skull Kid's rectitude the next time he laid eyes on him. He finally sighed. The Lost Woods looked the same as before, but now he could almost feel the pattern of the woods. He could tell where each path shifted when he concentrated. _Maybe, just maybe, I can get out of here…_

-…-…-…-

Shioru gasped as the blade bit deeply into his side. He was hanging on grimly to his last residues of strength. His blade slashed at the Fury's leg, but it was faster than him now. A fist found his mouth, and his back found the hard dirt. The Fury was closing in for the kill. He had almost nothing left; hardly enough to stay conscious, which he was determined to do until the end. The Fury tossed his blade aside, and pulled a viscous looking barbed dagger from his belt. _So the end begins._ He managed a lunatic smile as the demon neared. It growled and lifted its arm to strike. It was aimed for his belly. _It's going to kill me slowly!_ Shioru knew he would scream if that happened. Somehow, his thoughts turned to the Princess Zelda. He wished he could know her better. _This is idiocy! Think of something to help you!_ He reprimanded himself. _The last hope that remains to me is this power I seem to possess._ He began to build up that last modicum of energy he had. The Fury swung its blade down with all its might. He unleashed his power, a little too late. A portal opened up behind the Fury as its dagger plunged into Shioru. He screamed as the barbs bit into him.

But then, a fleshy hand extended from the portal, big enough that it gripped the Fury around its whole waist. It screamed as the hand retracted the portal closing around it. The other Furies were completely at a loss. Who won? They were just starting to turn to the village when Shioru croaked out in a hoarse voice, "do you all want to share his fate? If not, I'd suggest retreating." The bluff worked. The Furies screamed and ran for the hills. The last thing he remembered seeing was Zelda rushing towards him, out of the house.

-…-…-…-

Zelda carried him back to the house with the assistance of Fado, thoughts racing. How was she going to fix him? He was a being of shadow, her healing one of light. He was even worse than Midna, to whom Zelda's magic was anathema. But his wounds were terrible. The Fury, in its fierce rage, (**A/N: The Fury, in its fury, was too much irony for me to write down.**) had missed Shioru's stomach. But it still went too far through him not to cause massive bleeding. The other cuts it inflicted were also severe. This was something beyond the aid of bandages. Also, the fool had popped all of his stitches. Where was Link when she needed him?

Ilia immediately began helping her as she walked in. As they laid him down, his hand shot out and gripped Ilia's arm. "Link… was in… danger," he managed, his voice sounding feverish.

Zelda saw Ilia swallow hard. "Is he…?" Ilia choked out.

Shioru shook his head. "No… I… I saved him… somehow," he forced out, between clenched teeth and ragged gasps.

Relief washed over Zelda. "You have our heartfelt thanks. You may have saved us all, again," she murmured, laying Shioru down on a bed. Ilia nodded her agreement, but Shioru was out again. Already, the dreams that wracked him before were starting in on him again.

-…-…-…-

(**A/N: This next part should be confusing for you. But don't worry reader. All will be revealed in time.**)

_The blinding pain returned. A constant companion, but never an ally, it seemed. His mother's face swam before his eyes, screaming as his father's hand flashed down. Only, the knife came for him now, stabbing him in his stomach again and again as he begged for mercy, for someone to _please_ help. "Heh, kid. You think that your mother didn't deserve this? She was a fool, and an imbecile. Like you, kid. Heh heh," his father said between angry chuckles, the last of his sanity gone. Then he was falling down the well again, the stark fear only increasing as he felt water surging down his screaming throat._

-…-…-…-

"Dear goddesses, Zelda, how can he scream like that?" Ilia asked worriedly. "His dream must be more awful than anything I've ever seen."

Zelda frowned, staring at the twitching body of Shioru, ragged moans escaping him. "I'll bet it is."

-…-…-…-

For a moment, Shioru could taste death. But then the nightmare shifted, and he was no longer in the well. _Thick smoke filled his lungs, depleting his precious supply of oxygen. The battle raged around him, and the village was falling. Blood stained his clothes, his skin, and his soul. He was unconcerned that the village was falling down around his ears. He had done all he could. He was only fifteen. He could list excuses all day. But the fact remained that he was dying. He looked up at the sky, seeking the moon, but it hid behind the smoke. "_Curse_ you, goddesses! I despise you _AND_ all of your ilk. You've done nothing for my people! If I had any strength in me, I'd take you all! I'd KILL you all!" The pain intensified. He was doubling over as his arm sang out in fiery anguish, a black mark appearing on his hand._But then, even Shioru's dreams faded to black. His ghosts left him alone, for now. They did this because they felt their true chance for revenge was coming. His end was near.


	7. A Shift in Reality

Link shouldered his way through a clump of trees, finding that he was staring at an old shed. _This can't be the house…?_ That's when he heard something walking about the house, breaking things. _Oh joy, the creature sent me into the house of an insane man. Then again, I don't really have any choice if any of what the Skull Kid said was true_. Link felt the Skull Kid wasn't misleading him. After all, why would he? _Except, of course, for the WHOLE thing he made me go through to get to the Sacred Grove the first time._ Link still had weird dreams about those skeleton things. But he went to the Sacred Grove and tried to obtain the Master Sword anyway. He couldn't even touch it.

Link walked up to the front door and knocked. For the first few minutes, he was hopeful for a quick reply. He had only been in the Spirit World a few days, and already he didn't like it. Very quickly, it dawned on him that this would not be the case. He knocked quite a few times to make sure he was right, but he knew he was. The bastard was ignoring him. "I am the Hero of Hyrule! Am I not owed at least a modicum of respect?!"

That accomplished something. There was dead silence in the house for several long moments. Then, the door opened, and a timid voice called out, "Link?" For a moment, Link could do nothing but stare in awe at the creature. It was a tiny little girl dressed up in green clothes. But what got Link the most was the blue glow surrounding it, and the wings. The girl's shocked face quickly turned to confusion. "You're not Link!"

Link was startled out of his reverie. "Of course I am! I am Link of Ordon, Twilight Hero! Who are you?"

The fairy blinked. It was clear she was trying to puzzle something out. Still in a confused voice, she finally managed, "Navi."

-…-…-…-

Shioru was slipping further into the void, of that there was no doubt. Princess Zelda was trying everything in her utmost power to heal him, but no matter what the light and dark clashed, and her attempts were repelled. She continued to try, however, until she noticed she was starting to make it worse. Ilia and she were at an impasse, racking their brains for any solution that could work. Although the Princess could think of one, she was reluctant to attempt it, because it would most certainly anger Shioru and Ordona. But, it had to be done. "I need to take Shioru to the Ordon Spring," Zelda informed Ilia, eliciting a swift counterargument.

"There's no way you can survive that journey with Shioru unconscious and Link missing!" She got a feeling akin to a blow in the gut as she accepted the fact that Link wasn't coming back, not for a long time anyway.

Zelda was sporting the usual cocky smirk she gave when she knew something you didn't. "There are actually three weapons with the power to fight the Furies. The Master Sword, Shioru's Onyx blade, or as it is actually called, the Sun's Bane, are two of them. Of course, there are these as well," Zelda finished, holding up her hand while a Light Arrow appeared. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Now, I should really get going, before the woods fill up with more of those demons." After an unnecessarily long goodbye, one which aggravated Zelda to no end by the time it was done, she went through the door, being followed by Rusl, who was holding Shioru. The plan was simple. Rusl knocks down, and Zelda finished with Light Arrow. They set out towards the Ordon woods.

-…-…-…-

Link and Navi journeyed through the weird in between realm that they were in version of the Sacred Grove meadow. "How much longer do we have to go until we reach Faron?" Link asked, scanning the now immense seeming trees. Navi smiled. "This doesn't lead to Faron Woods, or any other place you know.

Link turned to her and frowned. "What do you mean?" This was starting to give Link an immense headache.

Navi looked out into the woods. "The trees look… younger, don't they? Less restricted and free, compared to your world, don't they?"

Link stared at the nearest tree for a long moment. "That's actually been what's been bothering me since I got here. What's with that?"

Navi still had a bittersweet smile upon her face. "I've been living in your version of the Lost Woods for so long; I had forgotten to look for the changes. Why, I haven't been 'round this way since… since I was alive…"

Link turned sharply. "Whoa, that's a lot of information to give out all at once. What changes? My version of the Lost Woods? You died?"

Navi clutched her head. "Link, HELLO! **[A/N: I have been waiting to use that line since I thought of bringing this fairy into this story, and I have finally done it.] **One at a time, please! I used to always been the one saying too many things!" She took a moment to regain her composure. "Firstly, make no mistake. Unless I say differently, everyone you are going to see is dead. (Link blanched.) These are all people of an age long gone. I still think, out of everything I had done, my biggest mistake was to leave this place, and along with it, the only true friend I ever had. I miss him all the time. Every time I look at something green, I remember the days of adventure, the laughter, the pain, and the pride. Together, me and him, we saved this world… or so we thought."

Navi paused for a moment, and Link saw her wiping away tears out of the corner of her eye. "Anyways, as for my secondly. Yes, this is the world from many years in the past, when Ganandorf was still considered a loyal servant of the king. The general geography may be close to the same, but there are major differences… Also, I will only say this once. Any attempt to bring someone out of this world that is already dead will not end well. One soul must replace another, and you can guess whose that would be. So try to refrain, please."

Link nodded, but he wasn't quite sure why she was giving him a pep talk of some sort. After all, why would he want to save someone _who was already dead?_

-…-…-…-

Shioru felt himself entering a strange state where he was aware of everything going on around him, and yet he was still dreaming and couldn't wake up. This began to panic him, and then infuriate him when he couldn't summon the energy required to move even the little finger on his body. He felt the world starting to bleed out around him.

It was still too transparent for him to tell, but it looked as if there were a vast plain stretched out under him. Despite the sun shining brightly on his back in between the movement of trees, he could feel rain pounding down on his body. It was like he was in two dimensions at the same time, and the world slowly starting to appear before him had a big storm brewing.

He could see something vaguely in front of him, in both worlds. Trees. At the edge, he could see a figure being led by something glowing blue. He knew what that blue orb was, but the pain was distracting him, muddling his thoughts. He tried to reach forward, but the energy he needed to do so was not currently available. He lurched forward, and then he felt a tear rip through him, burning hot.

He roared in pain, only to realize he was stumbling forward. He looked back, and through the pain-filled haze, he could still see Rusl carrying him. However, Zelda was gone. The world that he could faintly see earlier was now all around him; the old one had receded. Ahead, he could still see that blue orb, with the figure in tow. However, he now recognized the green clothes and cap. _Link._

**A/N: I went there, and there ain't nothin' you can do about it...**


End file.
